Suburban report.

Senior Housing Plan Gets Another Chance

September 19, 1999|By Janice Neumann.

PALOS HEIGHTS — McShane Senior Living of Texas will have another chance to sell officials on plans for a senior housing development in the Westgate Valley Estates subdivision after the Palos Heights City Council agreed to meet with representatives of the firm again later this month.

Ald. Julie Corsi and Ald. Jim Murphy met recently with representatives from McShane and all parties agreed negotiations could continue if the density of the plan were reduced and the height of a six-story building were lowered. The site on Ridgeland Avenue, between 131st Street and 135th Street, was earmarked for 175 town homes on 25 acres.

"They gave us an idea of how they would scale down the size of the project," Murphy said recently about the meeting. Neither he, Corsi nor representatives for the developer would give details about the revised plans. Plans for the development originally called for 459 units of housing.

Joseph Ash, the attorney representing McShane, asked that the firm not pay impact fees to the school district because residents of the development would be seniors without school-age children.

Aldermen voted to drop negotiations with the developer in August if the plans were not revised.

Also at Tuesday's Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, an architect for Westgate Signature Development will present plans for 232 town homes and 74 ranch-style homes on the southern portion of the subdivision.